Labour's push for 50% to attend university 'has devalued degrees'

Labour's drive to ensure that 50 per cent of young people go to university has lowered academic standards and devalued degrees, employers said yesterday.

The Association of Graduate Recruiters said an 'obsession' with higher education had led to a boom in unchallenging courses at below-average institutions.

Growing numbers of students leave university with little hope of landing jobs that would justify the expense or effort behind their studies, the group warned.

Pushing 50 per cent of young people to attend university has created an 'obsession' with higher education

The association, which represents graduate employers in most blue-chip
companies and much of the public sector, called for the abolition of
the target for 50 per cent of under-30s to have a university education.

In further proposals likely to infuriate students, the group urged the Government to abolish the cap of £3,225 a year on tuition fees by 2020, allowing universities to charge unlimited fees.

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It says the historic degree classification system of firsts, 2.1s and 2.2s should be replaced by detailed records of achievement.

The demands are contained in a manifesto published by the association today.

The group, whose 750 members recruit 30,000 graduates between them every year, says public funds have been spread too thinly across universities.

Carl Gilleard, its chief executive, said: 'We were uneasy from the outset with the notion of setting an aspirational target because we felt that might drive the agenda, that quantity would become key rather than quality.

'There's a sense among employers that some of the candidates who apply for their positions are clearly not up to the standard they are looking for.

'It could be academically or that they don't understand the career they are applying for.

'We have also undertaken research on a regular basis which shows consistently that some graduate-level vacancies are not filled. Let's stop this obsession with the 50 per cent target.'

The 50 per cent target appeared in Labour's 2001 manifesto but by 2004 had been downgraded to progress 'towards' that mark by 2010.

Participation is currently running at 43 per cent and ambitions to increase it further have been thwarted by the economic crisis and tight public finances.

The manifesto also calls for a national savings scheme to help families prepare for the cost of higher education and for all degree courses to teach employability skills.

Leading scientists have already called for cash spent on 'Mickey Mouse' degrees to be switched to science and technology courses.

The Royal Society of Chemistry rubbished degrees in celebrity journalism, drama with waste management and equine studies with dance.

And leading businessmen have argued that a lack of capable job applicants means graduate vacancies are left open.

But Wes Streeting, of the National Union of Students, said: 'It is in the long-term interest of our economy that the number of highly skilled graduates entering our workforce continues to increase.

'When students are leaving university with record levels of debt, and graduate job prospects are at an all-time low, it is offensive to argue that the cap on fees should be raised at all, let alone lifted entirely.'